Pills Don’t Teach Skills

We have all heard the phrase “the calm before the storm”, which in your case may relate to the weather, the havoc kids create on your weekend or even the hit song by Fall Out Boy.

I’ve decided to revise this phrase with an ADD twist. Now, it’s “the calm before the calm”. An ADD’er is familiar with the state of being wound up, hyper, frenzied or frantic. Often, this state of being can result in our creative ability shining through or being incredibly productive. It can also lead to a person with ADD experiencing some negatives. The state of being hyper and frenzied can create tension in the body and produce a body language that will be misinterpreted by others. Kind of like sending the wrong message.

In order to project a calmer state of being, we must engage in a thought process that comes from a place of being calm. We don’t get to a calm place by being hyper, we get there by being calm. The calm before the calm.

I have found it very effective to harness calmness in my actions. Instead of bouncing around the house getting things done in a frenzy, I now get things done around the house in a calm smooth fashion. I’ll reach for something in a cupboard a second slower. When I’m washing a pot, I’ll scrub it a little easier, instead of trying to remove the cooking surface. When the oven timer goes off telling me the food is ready, I’ll ease my way over to where the oven-mits are and take out the food enjoying the smell of the meal, instead of shooting to the oven like a rocket to get the food out and bang the oven door shut.

People with good emotional health are aware of their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. This is usually evident I the calmness of their actions. They have learned healthy ways to cope with the stress and problems that are a normal part of life.

However, many things that happen in our life can disrupt our emotional health and lead to strong feelings of sadness, stress or anxiety. Often with ADD, we then find our selves back in that frenzied and frantic place. However, you don’t have to go back there, to frenzy-ville. Not really a nice place to visit.

Find your way to be calm. Maybe it’s counting, or taking a deep breath. You may find calmness in something a simple as whistling. Find a way to be calm before you act. I have found it to be very rewarding. I use less energy, have more to give and find myself in a calmer and more enjoyable place.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 10th, 2008 at 9:50 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.